If only, if only we had been running
the go-pro as we went towards Curacao Marine. We used the
chartplotter re-transmitted to the smartphone on Murray's wrist.
Caroline acted as look-out depth checker and general dogsbody.
Music
(its Friday night) as we approach the capital city, Willemstad, is
blaring out so loudly you wonder why the buildings aren't falling
down. Now add in flashing disco lights, white lights and a bridge
of
hooped multi coloured lights at 20:00hrs. No moon, pitch dark and
then we are in Friday night partying scene; confusing is not the
word.

Now we find that our chart is wrong.
It
shows 2 bridges: he first is described as 'fixed' and the second
as
55m clearance. We are facing what looks like a causeway with no
way
through. After 500 miles of sailing we have to turn round and are
faced with a seemingly impossible dilemma for the second time that
day, facing a night hove to in a lumpy sea. Then Caroline spots a
tug
towing and we break one of our golden rules and follow that boat
without knowing where we are going.
We find the so-called fixed
bridge is a floating pontoon which can be opened, but its closing
on
us with a ferry next to it. So we have a brightly coloured bridge
and
a ferry closing in on us as we squeeze through. We then plod up
the
channel, 2 rights and we arrive at 21:00 thankfully. The bottle of
wine had been chilling in the fridge already, so we drank our
wine,
tidied the boat and had a great night's sleep.
The following day
we found Customs and Immigration both open and free. We enjoyed
the
capital city, relaxed eating outside, a quirky slave museum
(details
what is considered to be the African Holocaust) the beautiful
Dutch
buildings and the now ubiquitous urban art.